Relationship Between Sustainability, Digitalization and Innovation: General Patterns and Practices of Industry Development in South of Russia

The article is devoted to the study of the relationship between sustainability, digitalization, and innovation in modern industrial development in theoretical and practical aspects. The paper analyzes the factors determining the state of industrial enterprises and ways of transfer to sustainable development with the introduction of an element of digitalization, which is a driver of sustainability. The innovative activity of enterprises is presented not only as one of the aspects of the functioning of industrial units but also as a factor in the formation of innovative business models aimed at environmental and resource-saving activities. A theoretical analysis of modern scientific sources revealed the ambiguity of the interaction of digitalization, sustainability, and innovation in the logic of industrial development. At the same time, the analysis of scientific research confirms the relevance of the issues of the relationship between sustainability, digitalization, and innovation, where the practical application of digital technologies occupies an important place. To show how these elements influence each other, a correlation analysis was carried out for various regions of Russia, which showed a link between the digital and innovative activities of organizations and sustainable development. Based on a general analysis of general trends and identified patterns, an analysis of organizations in the Southern Federal District was carried out, which allows us to determine the specifics of the regions in the context of innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable development. The study allowed us to conclude that for the sustainable development of the industry, the necessary condition is the presence of an innovative component, which at the same time requires resource costs, which characterizes the contradictory side of the influence of the digital and innovative factors on the environmental sphere. Therefore, in modern conditions, it is advisable to shift the focus of attention from product innovations to business model innovations in industry. Authors’ contribution. A.Yu. Nikitaeva – formulation of research objectives, hypotheses, and methodological framework; comprehensive analysis of theoretical sources; conclusions development regarding the digital transformationsustainability- innovation interdependence; I.V. Mitrofanova – study of general trends in the field of sustainability, digitalization, and innovation; analysis of the dynamics of indicators in the field of industrialization, innovation, and infrastructure in Russia; A.S. Protsenko – empirical analysis implementation; data collection and systematization on digitalization, sustainability, and innovation aspects; correlation analysis execution; research results visualization; findings interpretation and conclusions formulation.